Word Study
overdrive
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun overdrive has 2 senses
- overdrive(n = noun.state) Array - the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration; "Troops are ready to go into overdrive as soon as the signal is given"; "Melissa's brain was in overdrive" is a kind of action, activeness, activity
- overdrive(n = noun.artifact) Array - a high gear used at high speeds to maintain the driving speed with less output power; Array is a kind of high, high gear
Derived form verb overdrive1
Verb overdrive has 2 senses
- overdrive(v = verb.social) Array - drive or work too hard; "The teacher is overworking his students"; "Overdriving people often suffer stress" is one way to exploit, overwork
- overdrive(v = verb.consumption) overuse - make use of too often or too extensively; Array is one way to apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize
Derived form noun overdrive1
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s somebody
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s something
CIDE DICTIONARY
overdrive, v. t. & i.
To drive too hard, or far, or beyond strength. [1913 Webster]
overdrive, n.
- A gearing device which causes the drive shaft of an automobile or other machine to rotate at a speed greater than that of the engine crankshaft. [PJC]
- The gear setting of a motor vehicle at which the overdrive{1} is operative; as, cruising at 80 mph in overdrive. [PJC]
- A state of unusually intense activity; as, when they got their new supercomputer, their research kicked into overdrive; one look at her made his heart jump into overdrive; -- used mostly of the activities of persons or groups. [PJC]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
overdrive, n.
1 a a mechanism in a motor vehicle providing a gear ratio higher than that of the usual gear. b an additional speed-increasing gear.
2 (usu. prec. by in, into) a state of high or excessive activity.
1 a a mechanism in a motor vehicle providing a gear ratio higher than that of the usual gear. b an additional speed-increasing gear.
2 (usu. prec. by in, into) a state of high or excessive activity.
THESAURUS
overdrive
Hydromatic, automatic transmission, burden, busy, carry too far, cogwheel, differential, differential gear, drive, exaggerate, exhaust, fag, freewheel, gear, gear train, gearbox, gearing, gearshift, gearwheel, go overboard, go to extremes, go too far, high, intermediate, keep busy, know no bounds, low, neutral, oppress, overact, overcarry, overdevelop, overdo, overelaborate, overemphasize, overexercise, overexert, overexpend, overindulge, overlabor, overplay, overreact, overspend, overstrain, overstress, overstudy, overtask, overtax, overtrain, overuse, overwork, pass all bounds, protest too much, rack, reverse, standard transmission, stick shift, sweat, synchromesh, task, tax, transmission, work
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